1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector in which retaining lances for retaining terminals serve also as partition walls, separating terminal receiving chambers in a housing from one another, thereby achieving a compact design in a direction of the height of the connector.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-223975, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 7 to 10 show the related connector that has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model No. 2567958. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the related connector, FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the related connector, showing a condition in which terminals are inserted therein, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX--IX of FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X--X of FIG. 8.
In this connector 41 (FIG. 8), a receiving recess 46 (FIG. 9) for receiving a reinforcing projection 45a of an elastic retaining lance 45 is formed in a partition wall 44 of each terminal receiving chamber 43 in a connector housing 42, and with this construction a compact design of the connector housing 42 in the direction of the height thereof is achieved while securing a margin for the flexion of the retaining lance 45.
The retaining lance 45 serves to retain a terminal 47 (FIG. 8), and extends obliquely upwardly from the partition wall 44, and has a retaining projection 45b formed at its distal end for engagement in an engagement hole 48 in the terminal 47. A flexing space 49 is formed at the lower side of the retaining lance 45. The reinforcing projection 45a is formed integrally on the lower side of the retaining lance 45, and the receiving recess 46 for receiving the reinforcing projection 45a is formed through the partition wall 44.
When the terminal 47 is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber, the retaining lance 45 is displaced into the flexing space 49, and the reinforcing projection 45a is engaged in the receiving recess 46, and the lower surface of the retaining lance 45 is held against the upper surface of the partition wall 44, thereby preventing excessive displacement of the retaining lance 45. Simultaneously when the insertion of the terminal 47 is completed, the retaining lance 45 is restored upwardly to retain the terminal 47.
In the above-described connector 41, although part (the reinforcing projection 45a) of the retaining lance 45 is inserted into the recess in the partition wall 44, thereby increasing the flexing margin, the amount of this increase is only an amount corresponding to the height of the reinforcing projection 45a, and this could not achieved a sufficient effect with respect to the compact design in the direction of the height of the connector housing 42. And besides, because of the reduced thickness of the retaining lance 45, the reinforcing projection 45a is formed on the retaining lance 45, and also the engagement recess 46 is formed in the partition wall 44, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the construction is complicated.